Toy aeroplane.



E. W. SMITH.

TOY AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.20, 1909.

Patented June 21, 1910.

WITNESSES: fl/

Edward Q a ora ion.-

THIRD'TO EDWARD G. STEINMETZ,

015 J Em. "em, PENNSYLVMIA.

TOY annornamn.

seams.

Application filed January 20, 1909. serial Ea. 333,260.-

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that'li, EDWARD WANTON SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

Among the ob ects of my invention are to provide a toy aeroplane characterized by simplicity and cheapness of construction, and ease of handling and operation; in which is embodied adjustable means for determining the angle of flight of theaeroplane; in which the parts thereof may be readily taken apart and formed into a package convenient and suitable fortransportatlon; in which means are provided for inclosing and protecting the means for driving the propeller; fin which the elastic member is adapted to operate the rear and forward propellers; and to provide a toy aeroplane having means for strengthening and rendering less breakable the propellers and supporting surfaces or planes.

Other objects of my invention will appear from the following specification and accom-,

panying drawings.

In the drawings Figure l is a perspective view of my improved toy aeroplane in flight; Fig. 2 a detail view, partly in section, of the rear end of the aeroplane; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; F g. 4 is a view of'one end of the aeroplane with the propeller removed; and Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the pivotal mounting of the propeller blades.

Similar reference numerals indicate similar parts in theseveral figures.

ably from pa er'or pasteboard or other suitable materia s and in which is an elastic member 2-, shown in the drawings as combeing fastened to rings 4 which in turn are mounted upon hooks 55, in which the inner ends of the shafts fiterminate.

Referring to Fig. 2, which also illustrates. the detail construction of the front end of the aeroplane, the shaft 6 is journaled within a bearing block 7, preferably made of wood and adapted to fit snugly within the end of the tube 1. Near the outer end of the shaft 6 and mounted thereu on, is a propeller 8 which is made preferab' of thin wooden blades? let into and'glue fast to a central block 10,. preferably made of wood and fixed to the shaft 6 by the pin 11 passing through the block 10 into a hole suitably provided in theshaft 6, or if preferred, the pin 11 may be passed through the central block and project therefrom so that its inner end will engage the crossbar 12. It will be seen that. b this construction I have provided means w er'eby the propellers may be easily removed, replaced or changed, as desired. Rigidly fixed to the shaft 6 between the central block 10 and the outer end of the bearing block-7 is a cross-bar 12. vI have shown this cross-bar as so arated from the central block 10, but I desire it to beunderstood that this cross-bar may be fitted to the central block 10, or may be entirely dispensed with, if preferred, as will be apparent.

In the outer end of the bearin block 7,

Specification of Letters Patent. Patetnted June 21, 3339. I

I have provided a saw-cut orgsot 13, in

which is "pivoted at 14 a brake l lever 15. This brake lever is preferably made with two arms 16 and 17,-extending be end the periphery of the bearing block an formed with a projecting portion or pawl 18. Upon the tube and ad acent its end isyplaced a pin 19; I connect the pin 19 and the arm '16 of the brake lever 15 with elasticjmeans, prefer'ably an elastic'ba-nd 20 whereby the arm 16 may be moved about its pivotal su port 14 and normally held in the position s own in full lines in Fig. 2 with the pawl 18, out

I of engagement with the cross bar 12. To the In Fig. 1, 1 indicates a tube made preferoth'er-en'd of the brake lever 15 is fastened a strin ;1 ofr wire 21 or. other suitable means whic asses through eyelets '22, mounted upon t e respective blocks 27, 28 and 29 which arefixed to the tube 1, and said string? or wire-is fastened to'the corresponding'end of the brake lever at the other end of the tube 1'. V

Mounted upon the tube 1 in any desired position is the supporting plane 24, which I term the wings o the aeroplane, the ends of wvhich preferably are curved upwardly.

- planes or the wings and ,tail of the aeroplane planes may be easily removedfrom the tube, I

'Near the rear-end of'the aero lane is another supporting plane 25, whic -I term the tail of the aeroplane and the plane of WlllCh is substantially horizontal. I haveshown a convenient and desirable means for fastening the supporting planes24 and 25 upon the tube 1 as follows :-These supporting planes are preferably made of a fitame work of stri s of-wood upon which is stretched oiled 0 0th or other suitable material form; ing the body portions of the planes. v.Substantially midway between the ends of these planes and upon the frame work, I fix bars I or'saddles 26, extending transversely of the l5 planes and slightly beyond the edges ,of the frame work thereof. These supporting may be fastened to the tube by passingrubber bands or other suitable means around the tubes and the rojecting ends of the bars 26.

It will thus seen that the supporting and, furthermore, that by changing the position of the su porting plane upon the tube I may determine the angle of flight which the aeroplane will take when released or scribed as follows: .put the aeroplane in flight, the tube is thrown. The operation of m device may-be deen it is desired to grasped'by one hand, if by a right-handed the thumb upon the string 21 preferably at.

person, preferably with the left hand, with a point between two of the blocks and pressure a plied to this string to press-it toward the tu 1. The tightening of the string caused b the thumb pressingupon it as just describe causes. the ends 17 of the cross I from eachother, resulting bars 15 to be drawn toward each other, thereby causing the opposite ends 16 of the brake levers tomove outwardly and away in the'pawls 18 com-in in engagement with the cross bars 12 an acting-as brakes ,toretard their revo-.

lution. ,One of the propellers 8 is then turned about ts axis,the pawls 18 by their engagement with the cross bars 12 while allowing the propeller to be revolved in the desired directibm'yet acting as a brake to prevent either propeller from untwisting.

As the propellemis revolved, the shaft 6 to tween the blocks 28 and 29 and the s which it is rigidl fastened, and rings 4 are also revolved, w ereby the elastic member .is twisted or wound up. When ,the desired torque in the elastic member has been obtained, the operator removes his left-hand.

from the tube and the thumb from the string and simultaneously grasps the tube with the rlght hand, the thumb. of theright hand bemg preferably placed upon the string beackness caused by removing the thumb of the left hand from the string between the blocks 2:? and 28 is taken up by the thumb of the right hand pressing the stringbetween the force developed be apparent thereplane alights and the propellers strike the blocks 28 and 29, toward the tube. The pawls 18 are therefore constantly 1n engagement with the cross bars 1,2 at both ends of the device, as'abo've described, wh le the aeroplane is being prepared for flight,

and thus the unwinding of the elasticv for steering the device by suitably mounting a rudder orvertical plane 30 shown in Fig. 1, upon an end of the aeroplane.

By virtue of having the two revolving in opposite directions, it will be readily understood that during flight the propellers take up all the torque exerted by the elastic. member; so that the resultant effect is a .simple propulsive force.

I have found it desirable toreinforce and strengthenthe blades of the pr ellers and, if desired, the win s and tail, y winding about and securely astening to them, strips of cloth, or other suitable material, transversely of their len h as shown at 31 whereby the chances of t e same being broken are ropellers greatly lessened. As a further protection to the propellers and to prevent their breakage when the aeroplane is alighting, I may construct them as shown in Fig.5 of thedrawlngs. r

The manner of construction of the prowhich I. have hereinbefore described in that the blades of the propellers instead of being made fast within the central block .10 are pivotally mountedthe'rein 'in' suitable slots provided therefor so that the blades may move about their pivotal supports as shown in dotted lines. spring may be previded to hold the blades in their desired extended positions, but such a sprin isnot necessary, as the blades when loosey supported, are kept in their extended ositions while the aeroplane is. in flight y the centrifugal their rotation. It will ore, that when theaerosurface u on which the. aeroplane-isalight ing, the lades ofpthe propellers will turn upon-their pivotal su ports, thereby breaking the force of the ascent and impact of 'peller referred to, differs chiefly from that the fall of the" aeroplane. I may also ac com lish this end b constructing the blades of e'prop'eller's o a flexible material'such as celluloid or rubber or other suitable material which possesses flexible qualities in a I high degree. q

While I have shown a strand of rubber fibers as the driving means for the propellers, I do not wish to be limited iii-any manner to this form of driving means, for it will be obvious that a single rubber band might serve equally as well, and furthermore, a steel spring or other torsional means could be utilized.

It will be obvious that many changes may be made in the details, form and construction of my invention from those which I have shown and described without, however, departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. A toy aeroplane comprising a frame,

propellers provided with shafts journaled in the ends of said frame, a torsional spring connecting the inner ends of said shafts, and means for temporarily preventing said propellers from rotating.

2. A toy aeroplane comprising a frame, propellers provided with shafts journaled in the ends of said frame, a torsional spring connecting the inner ends of said shafts, means for temporarily preventing said propellers from rotating, and means for automatically releasin said propellers.

3. A toy aerop ane comprising a frame, propellers rotatively mounted thereon, means for rotating said propellers in opposite directions, means for locking said propellers against movement, and means for normally holding said locking means in inoperative position. Y

4. A toy aeroplane comprising a frame, a propeller rotatively mounted thereon, means for rotating said propeller, a'pivoted brake lever, means secured to one end of said lever for yieldingly holding said lever normally in inoperative position, and means at the other end of said lever for holding said lever in operative position.

5. A toy aeroplane comprising a frame, a pair of propellers rotatively mounted'thereon, means for rotating said propellers, means for locking said propellers against movement, means for normally holding said locking means in inoperative position, and a single means for actuating said locking means to hold the same in operative position.

6. A toy aeroplane comprising a frame and a propeller rotatively mounted thereon,

relatively pivoted at their inner ends, on.

axes transverse to the plane of said blades.

7. A toy aeroplane comprising a frame, a propeller rotatively mounted thereon, means for rotating said. propeller, and means for locking said propeller against movement, comprising a lever pivoted to said frame arranged to engage a member of said propeller, means to maintain said lever, in normal position out of engagement with "the member on said propeller, and means arranged to shift said lever to prevent rotation of said propeller.

8. A toy aeroplane comprising a frame, propellers rotatively mounted thereon, means for rotating said propellers, means for preventing the rotation of said propellers comprising levers pivoted in said frame nected to contemporaneously shift said levers to lock said propellers and prevent their rotation, and means to automatically maintain said levers in inoperative position.

9. A toy aeroplane comprising a frame, propellers rotatively mounted thereon, means for rotating said propellers, means arranged to temporarily prevent the rotation of said propellers comprising levers pivoted in said frame and normally maintained in inoperative position, a cord connecting said levers, and means to maintain said cordnormally extended from said frame, said cord being arranged to be pressed toward said frame to shift said levers into operative position, to prevent rotation of said propellers.

10. A toy aeroplane comprising a frame, propellers rotatively mounted on said frame, means for rotating said propellers, cross bars arranged to rotate with said propellers, levers pivoted in said frame and yieldingly maintained out of contact with said cross bars, and a cord connecting said levers and normally maintained extended from said frame, said cord being arranged to be shifted toward said frame to contemporaneously shift said levers, in opposition to said yielding means, into the path of said cross bar, to contemporaneously prevent the rotation of said propellers, said yielding means withdrawing said levers from engagement with said cross bars when said cord is released.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of J anuar 1909.

EDWARD WA'NTON MITH.

\Vitnesses: V

FREDERICK BLoUN'r, ALEXANDER PARK.

local to each of said propellers, means con- 

